Iranian geographer: Transferring Caspian Sea water to Iran's central regions is not a solution

Transferring water from the Caspian Sea to Iran's central regions cannot meet all the drinking water demands of the central cities, Parviz Kardavani, an Iranian geographer known as the father of Iranian desert studies, said, Mehr reported.

"Without water management, even the whole waters of the Caspian Sea are not enough," Mehr quoted Kardavani as saying.

"We should learn water conservation and water efficiency instead of transferring water from the sea to central deserts," he added.

The first phase of transferring water from the Caspian Sea to Iran's central regions started in April. The project is considered to be the largest pipe-laying project in the country. According to the plan, water will be transferred from Sari to the city of Semnan. The project is supposed to come on stream by April 2041.

Energy Minister Majid Namjou said on April 7 that the plan aims to provide central provinces with water for industrial and agricultural purposes.

Once the plan comes on stream, some 500 million cubic meters of water will be transferred per annum, he added. He said that the plan has been developed based on the idea of connecting the Caspian Sea, in the north, with the Persian Gulf, in the south.